The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-05
Science in Feeding Cattle.

Indianapolis Corn Miller.
Considerations of this character give us some
foundation ideas to build upon, and they assist
US to understanding of the claims put forth
by men who have had good results from feeding
bran to beef cattle. The fatty matter and the
lean matter in the animal tissues are made up
from carbonaceous and heterogeneous elements In
the food which is eaten. In common classical
tions the two great divisions of food in this re-
spect are alpuminoids-fsh forming and carbhy-
drates-fat-forming. Of the albuminoids. pro-
tein is the chief or leading principle. Protein
is that which goes to make muscle or the lean
meat OF the body" The white OF an egg Is
albumen, and hence. almost pure protein
Cheese is made up almost wholly OF protein.
oil meal and cotton-seed meal Skim
milk is a protein food Among the carbonaceous
(carbhy drates) foods may be mentioned sugar
and starch and the fiber of hsy. straw and
stalks belong to the same list. Professor Henry
says in protein we have the same element,
with the addition OF one more element. that we
have in carbohydrates. We have for carb-
hydrats the three elements, carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen, three gases which. in plant, may
combine and produce carbohydrates" In pro-
tein have those three elements, and, also,
nitrogen. Wheat bran is rich in nitrogen. SO Is
oil meal which is but the bran of dax-seed,
while, compared with them corn stalks. hay.
straw. sugar. bests. turnips. etc. are deficient
in that necessary combination called protein.
Animals. in order have good health and reeu-
lar growth, must have these two classes of food
IN certain proportions. If we feed all of one
particular kind of food to man or beast we pro-
duce disease and not health; we prevent growth
instead of promoting it. We must have a
riety. because in having it we have the different
food elements in different proportions. good
needs about two and onehalf pounds of
protein food, and twelve and one-half pounds of
caroonaceous food, that is. a proportion of one
to fve A good work horse needs little more
protein food than q milch cow. because he uses
his muscles more.
Corn has about 9 per cent. protein; that is.
100 pounds of corn contain about nine pounds of
protein food, while hundred pounds of wheat
bran contain about fourteen pounds. Corn has
about ~ per cent of Carbohydrates, while bran
has only about AZ per cent, only little more
than half much. II animal. say a
steer. needs one pound of protein food (albumi
noids) to five pounds of carbonaceous fcarbhy-
drates), and that is about the proper proportion
IN practice, 1t follows that corn alone has not
enough protein, while bran alone has not enough
Carbohydrates. In corn the proportion is one to
eight, In bran it is one to three) A proper mix
ture of the two is what is needed.
So it appears that when farmers feed a great
deal of hay and straw TO their cattle in the wina
ter they ought, at the same time, to feed liber.
ally of wheat bran. Likewise when fatting
imais for slaughter. and particularly beef cattle
and sheep they ought TO use a great deal of
bran with the corn This is not only in accord
with theory, but it has been proved in greater
or less degree by every effort in that direction.
and more particularly in experiments made
Gently at the agricultural stations and by indi-
Yidual farmers.